London bar NOLA is to become the first bar outside of North America to receive the Seal of the Sazerac in recognition of its promotion of the Sazerac cocktail and the culture of New Orleans.
The accolade has been awarded by the New Orleans Cultural Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society (NOCCPS), which organises the annual Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans.
Only a handful of bars in North America, mostly in New Orleans, have been given the seal which recognises commitment to serving the perfect Sazerac, the official cocktail of the Louisiana city.
Tales of the Cocktail co-founder Ann Tuennerman will visit the UK on October 17 to present the seal to the team at NOLA which opened in Shoreditch only five months ago.
Dan Priseman, one of the founding partners of NOLA, said: “For us, this is an unbelievable achievement. When we put the cocktail programme together it was important to us that we honour the rich history of cocktails from the city of New Orleans, so for the NOCCPS to recognise us as the first bar outside of North America to receive this honour is something that our whole team are very proud of.”
NOLA joins a list that also includes Arnaud’s French 75, The Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone and The Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt, all in New Orleans. Click here for the full list.
NOLA specialises in classic New Orleans cocktails, such as the Sazerac, Grasshopper and Ramos Gin Fizz, plus drinks created by bartenders currently working in the city as well as drinks inspired by it.
The bar offers Sazeracs based on the original 1850s recipe as well as modern twists. Its classic recipes uses either rye whiskey or Rémy Martin VSOP cognac stirred down with sugar and Peychaud’s Bitters, served in an absinthe-rinsed glass.
The NOCCPS is a non-profit organisation committed to preserving the unique cocktail culture in New Orleans and around the world. Every year the NOCCPS produces a number events including Tales of the Cocktail, Tales of the Cocktail on Tour, and Tales of the Toddy with proceeds being invested back into the international spirits community through scholarships, training programmes and financial aid.
